PROGRAMS IMMEDIATELY REPORTING LIVE OUTSIDE JACKSONVILLE CITY HALL AREA. ALSO CHANNEL 4, THE
LOCAL STATION.
>>JOY PURDY: ARIEL THANKS. ONE
OF THEIR DEACONS, TRANSITION
INITIATIVES FOCUSES ON YOUTH
PROGRAMS. TONIGHT NEWS 4 JAX
REPORTER ERIK AVANIER SPOKE
WITH RESIDENTS IN NORTHWEST
JACKSONVILLE ABOUT WHAT THEY
THINK NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO KEEP
YOUNG PEOPLE AWAY FROM CRIME.
>> VIOLENT CRIME INVOLVING
YOUTH IS A PROBLEM IN
JACKSONVILLE, ESPECIALLY IN
PARTS OF THE CITY WHERE GUN
VIOLENCE AND POVERTY GO HAND
IN HAND. THAT’S WHY I’M AIRED
ON PROPOSED BUDGET. 5.8
MILLION DOLLARS OF TAXPAYER
MONEY WILL PAY FOR LITERACY
PROGRAMS. YOUTH ARTIST
PROGRAMS, PUBLIC CITY POLLS
AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS.
THESE PROGRAMS ARE SUPPOSED TO
HELP YOUNG PEOPLE STEER AWAY
FROM CRIME TO GET A BETTER
PERSPECTIVE ON THIS ISSUE. WE
SPOKE WITH TURNER.
>> SHE’S A BUSINESS OWNER OF
THE 3 TO 208, ZIP CODE. ONE OF
THE MOST UNDERSERVED ZIP CODES
IN FLORIDA. THAT ALSO
EXPERIENCES A FAIR SHARE GUN
VIOLENCE INVOLVING TEENAGERS
AND YOUNG ADULTS. TURNER IS
ALSO INVOLVED INITIATIVE TO
HELP AT-RISK KIDS. I THINK
ANYTHING THAT SHOW WATCH OUT
SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT THEY
SEE EVERY DAY IS GOOD. BUT I
CULTURALLY WE HAVE TO ASK
OURSELVES HOW THESE PROGRAMS
GOING TO WORK. TURNER SAYS
SPENDING MONEY ON PROGRAMS
THAT HELP YOU FIND EMPLOYMENT
IS GREAT.
>> BECAUSE IT HELPS THEM
BECOME PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF
SOCIETY. BUT SHE ALSO SAYS
ADULTS WHO ARE DECIDING HOW
THE 5.8 MILLION DOLLARS WILL
BE GETTING ONE KEY ELEMENT.
SOMETIMES WE’RE DISCONNECTED.
THINK WE SHOULD SIT DOWN WITH
YOUTH AND ASKED THEM WHAT THEY
NEED AND AND WHAT DO THEY
THINK CAN HELP THEM SHIFT
THEIR LIFE WITH TO TURNER
SUGGESTION OF TALKING WITH
YOUNG PEOPLE TO SEE HOW THEY
FEEL THIS MONEY SHOULD BE
SPENT. WHAT THEY TOLD US WAS
VERY DIRECT AND HONEST. YOU’VE
GOT COUNTIES LIVE TO SEE WHAT
LIGHT RAIL WANT TO KNOW. HOW
YOU GO FACE TO ME IN A THIN
METAL ARE. AND IF THEY PAGE,
BOTH YOUNG MEN ARE UNDER THE
AGE OF 21 IN LIVE IN THE AREA
OF KEN KNIGHT DRIVE AN
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY ON
JACKSONVILLE’S NORTHWEST SIDE
WITH A HISTORY OF GUN
VIOLENCE. BOTH SAY EDUCATIONAL
GOOD TO HAVE, BUT KIDS DON’T
WANT TO FEEL LIKE THEY’RE IN
SCHOOL ALL DAY EVERY DAY. A 5,
5, POINT GOAT OR SOMETHING
DOWN HERE WITH THE KIDS WILL
HAVE SO THEY’LL HAVE TO GO
TOWARDS THE STREET.
>> AS A REASON WHY WE PARDON
WHO GOING TOWARDS TREE COUPLE
HAD NOTHING ELSE TO DO.
BESIDES WHY WHEN YOU GO TO
SCHOOL? BUT FUNDING SCHOOL
GROWN-UP REALLY LIGHT.
>> WE GO HOME AND GOT INTO A
SIDE OF THE LAST ITEM IN THE
STREETS. BUT MAY ASKED DO
OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL AT OUTSIDE
OUTSIDE A SCHOOL ACTIVITY IS
IS BETTER AS YOU KEEP PERSON
MIGHT KEEP IN MIND I MIGHT
KEEP HIM FROM GOING TO THEY
BOTH AGREE THAT CITY LEADERS
TO TAKE THE TIME TO DIRECTLY
CONSULT WITH ALL THOSE IN
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE YOUTH
FEEL THEY NEED TO AVOID A LIFE
OF CRIME WITH THE ONES WHO
>> WHO IN DURING THIS AND
GOING THROUGH IT. I DON’T DO
THE 4 THEY NOT GOING THROUGH.
THEY ARE IT ON. HAD TO THE
SIZE. THERE ARE A DONE DEAL
DIDN’T LIFE TRYING TO PUT IT
YOU KNOW HOW WE FEEL, BUT I
DON’T KNOW HOW WE FEEL THEY
KATE HAS PERSONALLY. SO
BASICALLY. YEAH, LIKE I TODD,
EVERY SINGLE YOUTH RIGHT? IT
CAN USE LIKE THIS. THE YOUTH
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.
>> NOW ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS
THAT CAME UP WAS FOR CITY
LEADERS TO HAVE DIRECT
CONVERSATIONS WITH KIDS WHILE
THEY ARE AT SCHOOL THAT WAY.
THOSE LEADERS CAN SPEAK WITH
KIDS AND A GROUP SESSION AND
GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THE
KIDS FEEL. THEY NEED TO STEER
FROM CRIME. NOT GOT TO TELL
YOU THAT WHEN I SET OUT TO DO
THIS STORY, I HAD NO IDEA THAT
PARTICULAR TOPIC WAS GOING TO
COME UP. SO THIS REALLY CAME
AS A SURPRISE. IT WAS REALLY
INTERESTING, THOUGH, TO HEAR
WHAT WHAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE
THAT YOU RAN INTO HAD TO SAY.
HAS THE CITY SAID ANYTHING.
>> ABOUT WHAT THESE YOUNG
PEOPLE SAID ABOUT INVOLVING
THEM IN THE CONSOLE SHOULD BE
FAIR AND TRANSPARENT. WE HAVE
NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK
CITY LEADERS IF THEY HAVE
TAKEN THE TIME TO ACTUALLY GO
AND SPEAK WITH YOU AGAIN. THIS
TOPIC JUST CAME UP TONIGHT,
BUT I CAN TELL OUR VIEWERS
THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE A
QUESTION THAT CITY LEADERS CAN
EXPECT FROM NEWS 4 JAX
SOMETIME TOMORROW DURING
NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS. I KNOW.
AND WE’VE COVERED THERE HAVE
BEEN MEETINGS WHERE THEY
GATHER PEOPLE TOGETHER AND
USUALLY AT A PLACE OF WORSHIP,
ANOTHER ON THE PLACE OF
WORSHIP. BUT IS THAT
NECESSARILY THE RIGHT VENUE
FOR THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT
YOU WERE TALKING TO TONIGHT?
THAT IS A REALLY INTERESTING
QUESTION BECAUSE FROM TALKING
TO THE PEOPLE I SPOKE WITH,
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CHURCH
USED TO BACK IN THE DAY THE
CHURCH WAS KNOWN AS THE PILLAR
OF THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT’S
WHERE EVERYONE WENT. HOWEVER,
YOU TALK TO YOUNG PEOPLE,
THEY’LL TELL, YOU KNOW, NOT
EVERY PERSON EVERY YOUNG
PERSON GOES TO CHURCH. THEY’RE
NOT IN CHURCH. AND THEY, YOU
KNOW, THEY FEEL THAT THESE
THESE MEETINGS NEED TO TAKE
PLACE IN AREAS IN AREAS WHERE
YOUNG PEOPLE CONGREGATE, YOU
KNOW, WHETHER IT BE A SCHOOL
SETTING OR SOMEWHERE IN THE
COMMUNITY. AND THEY ALSO FELT
THAT YOU’VE GOT A LOT OF OLDER
PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING THESE
DECISIONS THAT ARE SHOWING UP
AT THESE MEETINGS TO KNOW THAT
THE THE STOP THE VIOLENCE
MEETINGS. BUT THERE’S NOT
ENOUGH YOUNG PEOPLE OF THEIR
TO PUT TO GIVE THEIR INPUT.
AND SO THAT’S WHERE THERE MAY
BE A BROUGHT THE HOPEFULLY
THIS IS THE START OF A NEW